Last month, I had the pleasure of eating brunch with the owner of Silver Queen Farm, Gordy Gallup. "I just like putting plants in the ground and watching them grow," Gordy told me with an easy smile.
I dined in Gordy's barn along with a few dozen others, all enjoying the farm's new Farm & Fork collaboration with Serendipity Catering*. It's a new type of eatery, with monthly Saturday dinners and Sunday brunches featuring almost exclusively local ingredients.
Gordy and his wife Liz have grown more than peaches, tomatoes, and countless other veggies and fruits on their 97 acre farm in Trumansburg over the past decade or so. They've grown loyal customers and new marketing strategies.
Gordy was previously a custom home builder, and after digging foundations all over the region, he knew the land here was ideal, with well-drained soil and an underlying aquifer. Soon, he returned to his farming roots and planted raspberries and began building a barn.
But not just any barn. The barn is cathedral-like in its height, and dressed up with a white billowing sash over the huge door during Farm & Fork events, it is unlike any barn in the region. Gordy plans to use the central space for an expanded farm store, with one side devoted to events and the other for storage.
The food at the September brunch was just as impressive as the barn itself: sausage gravy and biscuits, fresh fruit, coffee cakes, peach sangria, and more.
This model for farm-fresh dining has drawn a few dozen people out for each meal, and word is spreading. In October, visitors enjoyed a masquerade ball and pumpkin carving. Others have asked about hosting weddings on the property. Future events are planned through December. Gordy and Liz have clearly planted the seeds for something special here.
Check out Farm & Fork's future events at their Facebook page.
*Full disclosure: I was invited to experience the meal at a discount.
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